Automatic railway-switch.



PATENTED JULY 30, 1907.

H. H. HAYES.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 21, 1907.

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H. H. HAYES.

' PATENTED JULY 30, 1907.

AUTOMATIO RAILWAY SWITG'IL APPLIOATION FILED F3121, 1907.

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HORACE HAYES, OF GARDINER, MAINE.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 30, 1907.

Application filed February 21, 1907. Serial No. 358,540.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Hermon H. IIAYns, a citizen of the United States, residing in Gardiner, county of Kennebec, and State of Maine, have invented an Improvement in Automatic Railway-Switches, of which the following description,-in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like letters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to railway switches, and especially to switches which are adapted to be actuated automatically by a moving car or train; and the object of the invention is to provide a switch of this character which is normally locked, and which is first unlocked, then shifted to the desired position and subsequently locked; all three of these operations being performed automatically and in the proper sequence by the moving train or car.

The mechanism for operating the switch is so arranged that the engineer or motorman can throw the switch in either direction automatically and without stopping the car or train.

One embodiment of my invention will now be described and then the novel features thereof will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a switch embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, in side elevation, of the switch-throwing mechanism on substantially the line .t-x, Fig. 1; said Fig. 2 also showing one end of the switch-thrower which is carried by the car; Fig. 3 is a detail of the locking mechanism to be hereinafter described; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the switch-throwing device which is carried by the car, said figure also showing diagrammatically an indicator for indicating whether the switch has been operated or not; Fig. 5 is a side view of said switch-throwing device.

In the drawings 3 and 4 designate the fixed rails of a track, and 5 designates the movable switch rails. These switch rails are connected together by a bar 6, as

.usual, and extending therefrom is a member 7 which leads to the switch-throwing mechanism hereinafter described and by which the switch rails are moved in one direction or the other.

The switch is locked in its adjusted position by means of a locking member 8 which is adapted to enter one or the other of two apertures or notches 9 in the member 7 according to the position occupied by the rails 5, said locking member 8 operating to positively lock the switch rails from movement. This locking member 8 has connected thereto a rod 10 which may extend through a suitable bearing 11, and whichleads to the switch-unlocking mechanism hereinafter described.

The parts of'thc switch thus far described may have any suitable or usual construction and form no part of my present invention.

For throwing the switch rails automatically by a moving car, I have shown a switch-throwing member 12 mounted for movement transversely to the track at a point a suitable distance from the switch rails. This switch-throwing member is suitably connected to the member 7 so that the transverse movement thereof will give the member 7 a transverse movement and thus effect the throwing of the switch rails. One convenient way of securing this connection is by connecting the switch-throwing member 12 to a bar 13 which is pivotally connected to a suitable bell crank 14, the latter being connected by a link 15 to another bell crank 16 which is pivotally connected to the member 7. With this construction it will be seen that the transverse movement of the switch-throwing member 12 willbe communicated to the switch rails.

For operating the switch-throwing member 12 I have provided an actuating member 17 which is adapted to be carried by the car or train, and which is constructed so that by its engagement with the switchthrowing member 12 it will operate to throw said member one way or the other. The switch-throwing memher is herein shown as mounted to slide in suitable ways 18 formed in a frame If), and it has a projection 20 which is adapted to be engaged by the actuator 17 as the train moves over the track. The actuator 17 is shown best in Figs. 4- and 5, from which it will be seen that the front end 21 thereof is pointed and that the body 17 is tapering or wedge-shaped. The actuating member 17 is preferably pivotally mounted on the car so that it can be turned to direct the pointed end thereof to one side or the other of the projection 20 according to which way it is desired to throw the switch. When the actuating member 17 is properly placed the movement of the car will carry it against the projection 20,

and because of the wedge-shape of the member 17 said projection and the switch-throwing member will be moved laterally in one direction or the other thereby to throw the switch rails. Before the switch rails can be thrown however they must be unlocked, and I preferably make my unlocking device of such a construction that it will first unlock the switch-rails and after they are thrown will lock them again.

As herein shown the rod or connection 10 has connected to one end thereof a link 22, which link is pivotally connected to a lever 23 that is centrally pivoted on an arm 24 carried by the slide 12. The connection 10 also has pivoted thereto another link 25 to one end of which is pivoted an arm 26, which arm is pivoted to the frame 19 as at 27. When the connection 10 and lock 8 are in the position to lock the switch, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the end 28 of the lever 23 stands substantially vertically, while the arm 26 is in its inclined position all as shown in full lines Fig. 2.

For automatically unlocking the switch I have associated with the actuating member 17 a device to engage the upper end 28 of the lever 23 and throw said lever into the dotted line position Fig. 2 thereby to withdraw the locking bolt 8 from the member 7 prior to the time when the actuating member 17 engages the projection 20; and for locking the switch again after it has been thrown I have provided a device to engage the upper end of the arm 26 which has been thrown into the dotted line position, Fig. 2, thereby to return said arm to the full line position and restore the locking bolt 8. into its locking position.

In the present embodiment of my invention the lever 23 is actuated by a wedge member 30 carried at the front end of the actuating member 17, said wedgemember having an inclined under surface 31 situated to engage the upper end 28 of the lever 21 as the car moves forward and thus throw said lever into the dotted line position Fig. 2.

Since the member 30 is situated beyond the front end 21 of the actuating member 17 the lever 23 will be thrown into the dotted line position before the said actuating member reaches a position to engage the switch throwing member. The throwing of the lever 23 into the dotted line position will obviously unlock the switch and at the same time throw the arm 26 into the dotted line position, Fig. 2.

The rear end of the actuating member 17 is formed with an inclined cam surface 33 which is adapted to engage the upper end of the arm 26 after the switch has been thrown, thereby to restore said arm to the full line position, Fig. 2, and thus lock the switch again.

In Fig. 2 I have shown in dotted lines the position of the parts after the switch has been thrown and just prior to the time when the switch is locked by the engagement of the cam surface 33 with the upper end of the arm 26.

The actuating member 17 may be mounted on the car in any suitable way, and preferably appropriate means are provided for swinging said arm into the desired adjusted position. I have in the present embodiment of my invention secured to the engine or car 35 at some suitable point a bracket 36 to which the actuating member 17 is pivoted; and for this purpose the actuating member is provided with a pivotal pin 37 which extends through and is journaled in a portion 38 of the bracket. Any suitable means may be employed for turning the actuating member 17 to bring it into the desired position, and as one convenient means for doing this I have shown a gear 39 fast on the pivotal pin 37 and meshing with a gear 40 mounted on a suitable shaft 41 which extends to a point within convenient reach of the engineer or motorman, so that by turning the shaft 41 the actuating member 17 may be adjusted. For steadying and guiding the actuating member the bracket 36 is provided with the track 42, and the actuating member is provided with the hooked arm 43 adapted to hook over and rest on the track, as best seen in Fig. 5. The track 42 is preferably nearly circular and the gears 40 and 39 are so arranged that the actuating member may be pointed in either direction according to the direction in which the car is moving.

Assuming that the switch rail is set for the siding, as shown in Fig. 1, and that it is desired to set the switch for the main line the engineer or motorman will adjust the actuating member 17 into the position shown in Fig. 1, and as the car moves forward the cam surface 31 will first engage the upper end of the lever 23 thereby to unlock the switch, and the wedge-shaped actuating member 17 will then engage the projection 20 thereby throwing the switch. After the switch has been thrown the wedge surface 33 engages the upper end of the arm 26 and thereby locks the switch again.

The extent to which the switch-throwing member 12 can move in either direction is limted by the amount which the switch rails can move, and in order to prevent any of the parts from breaking, if the car should not run perfectly evenly, or if the switch should become fully thrown before the actuating member 17 has fully passed the switch-throwing member, I prefer ably provide said actuating member 17 with yielding surfaces at its rear end, which are permitted to yield when they engage the projection 20 if the switch is fully thrown. These yielding surfaces are shown as the side surfaces of the two members 50 pivotallymounted on the actuating member 17 and held outwardly by suitable.springs 51. I have also provided the bracket 36 with the two stops 61 and 62 on each side. The stops Glare rigid while the steps 62 are preferably pivoted to the bracket and are normally held outwardly in the full line position by suitable springs. These stops are in position to be engaged by the arm 43 of the actuating member and constitute rests against which said member is supported when it is acting on the switchthrowing member 12, said rests serving to positively maintain said member in proper position for throwing the switch and preventing it from being turned out of its proper position by engagement with the switch throwing member. The object in making the stop 62 pivoted is to permit the actuating member to be swung around a point in either direction for said stops 62 can be moved inwardly to permit the actuating member to pass by it.

I have also provided an indicator which may be used to indicate to the motorrnan or engineer the fact whether or not the switch has been thrown. This indicator is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 4 and comprises a pivotally-mounted indicator finger which is adapted to be actuated by either one of two magnets 71, 72. The coils of these magnets are bothconneeted through a wire 73 to the actuating member 17, and each is connected by another wire 74 to one of the pivoted members 50. The portions of the members 50 to which the wires are connected are properly insulated and each is provided with a spring contact 75 which is adapted to engage the member 17 and thus close the circuit through one or the other of the magnets when the member 50 is swung inwardly by contact with the switch-throwing member 12. When either of the magnets 71, 72 are energized the pointer 70 will be attracted toward it thereby indicating on the dial or scale 76 whether the switch has been thrown to the right or to the left. The dial 76 and pointer 70 may be situated in any convenient location in view of the engineer or motorman.

While I have herein shown the switch-throwing member as slidably mounted in the frame 19 yet this is not essential to the said invention, and the said member may be supported by the frame in any suitable way to permit it to move laterally when engaged by the actuating member 17.

The member 30 at the front end of the switch is comparatively wide as will be seen. The purpose of giving thereby to lock the switch.

it this shape is to make it positive that said member will 1 engage the upper end of the arm 23 in all adjusted positions of the actuating member.

While I have described one embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereto except as specified in the claims.

' Having described my invention What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a switch, the combination with movable switchrails and a lock therefor, of a lock-releasing mechanism, switch throwing mechanism, lock restoring mechanism, and a device carried by the car and adapted to engage first the lock-releasing mechanism thereby to unlock the switch, then the switch-throwing mechanism thereby to throw the switch and lastly the lock-restoring mechanism thereby to lock the switch again.

In a switch, the combination with movable switchrails, of a lock therefor, a switch-throwing member mov' able transversely of the track, an unlocking lever pivotally carried by the switch-throwing member, a switch-locking arm, and an actuator carried by the car and adapted to engage first the switch-unlocking arm then the switchthrowing member. and lastly the switch-locking arm.

3. In a swi-tch, the combination with movable switch rails, of a lock therefor, a switch-throwing member movabletransversely of the track, two pivoted arms connected with the lock, and an actuator carried by the car and adapted during its movement to engage first one of said pivoted arms thereby to unlock the switch, then the switchthrowing member and lastly the other pivoted member 4. In a switch, the combination with movable switchrails, of a sliding lock therefor, a pivotally mounted lever connected to the lock, a switch-throwing device connected to the switch and movable transversely of the track, and means carried by the car and adapted to engage both the pivoted lever thereby to unlock the switch and the switchthrowingdevice thereby to throw the switch.

In a switch, the combination with movable switch rails, and a lock therefor, of a lock-releasing member movable in one direction, and a switch-throwing member movable in another direction, and an actuating member carried by a car and having surfacesto engage both the lock-releasing member and the switclrthrowing member.

6. In a switch, the combination with movable switch rails, and a lock therefor, of a lock-releasing member movable in a vertical plane, a switch-throwing member movable transversely to said plane, and an. actuating member carried by the car and having one cam surface to engage and actuate the lock-releasing member, and another cam surface to engage and actuate the switchthrowing member.

7. In a switch, the combination with movable switchrails, and a lock therefor, of a pivotally mounted lock-re leasing lever connected to the lock, a switchthrowing member movable transversely of the track and connected to the switch rails, and an actuating member carried by the car and having a horizontally arranged cam surface to engage the lock-releasing member, and a vertical cam surface to engage the switclrthrowing member.

In a switch, the combination with movable switchrails of a switch-tln'owing member connected thereto, an actuator carried by a car moving over the track to operate said switch-throwing member, a signal on the car, and means to operate the signal by engagement of the actuator with the switch-throwing member.

9. In a switch, the combination with movable switchrails of a switclrthrowing member connected thereto, an actuator carried by a car moving over a track to operate said switch-throwing member, a visual signal carried by the car, and means for operating said signal by engage ment of the actuator with the switch-throwing member.

'10. In a switch, the combination with the movable switch rails, of a switch-throwing member connected thereto and provided with a projection 20, a lock, a pivoted lever 28 and a pivoted arm 26 both connected to said lock, and an actuating member 17 carried by the car and having a surface 21 to engage the lever 28 thereby to unlock the switch, a wedge-shaped body to engage the projection 20 thereby to throw the switch, and an inclined surface 33 to engage the arm 26 thereby to lock the switch.

11. In a switch, the combination with movable switchrails, of a lock therefor, a pivotally mounted lock-releasing lever connected to the lock, a switch-throwing member movable transversely of the track, a lock-restoring arm. and an actuating member carried by the car and having two horizontally arranged cam surfaces to engage the lockreleasing member and the lock-restoring member respectively, and vertical cam surfaces to engage the switchthrowing member.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HORACE I'I. HAYES.

Witnesses HA'IITIE E. HAYES, H. Martin Conn. 

